Morning, London! Happy Thursday. London is fully in that phase now where people will eat outside at any opportunity. Doesn't matter if it's actually warm or not. The second the sun appears, every bench in the city is occupied by someone holding a Pret sandwich and squinting slightly.

Sir David Attenborough turns 100 on Friday. One hundred. Honestly incredible. Still somehow the most relaxing voice on television. If your kids don't know who he is yet, this weekend might be the time. Put on a nature documentary and enjoy 47 minutes of relative peace.

Half term is now only three weeks away. Which feels fake, but apparently isn't. Our friends at The Place have something special lined up, so go have a look.

Let's go.

🖼️ Banksy Pops Up in Central London Again. Banksy has confirmed he’s behind a mysterious new statue that appeared overnight in St James’s. The sculpture shows a suited man carrying a flag over his face and now stands among London’s historic military monuments. Full story

🏃 1.3 Million People Applied for the London Marathon. A record 1,338,544 people have entered the ballot for the 2027 London Marathon, smashing last year’s total. At this point, getting a place feels slightly easier than getting Oasis tickets. Full story

🎨 The Sistine Chapel Is Coming to London. A new immersive exhibition is bringing Michelangelo’s legendary ceiling paintings to London this summer, with giant projections recreating the Sistine Chapel experience. No flights to Rome, no Vatican queues, significantly fewer priests shushing you. Full story

This May half term, step into the enchanting world of evim [my home], a magical dance theatre experience for children aged 2-7, from Ceyda Tance Dance and Theatre Fideri Fidera.

Join three curious wanderers as they journey in search of belonging, guided by dance, music and playful discovery.

Filled with captivating movement and moments of interaction, this non-verbal, sensory-rich performance offers an ideal first introduction to dance theatre for young audiences.

“A joyfully collaborative dance experience for the very young, full of spectacle, starlight, creativity and caring.” – ★ ★ ★ ★ Everything Theatre, 2025

40 minutes with no interval, plus a 10-minute Stay and Play at the end.

📍The Place, Euston WC1H (closest stations King's Cross and Euston)
🗓️ May 23rd (Sat)
More info

Last week we asked whether you give your kids an allowance. The results were… mixed.

The biggest group still debating it. Which feels about right for a topic where every family seems to have invented its own tiny financial system.

A few responses that made us smile:

Honestly, all of them made sense in their own way. The marble household is clearly running a tight operation. The policy-document parent has almost certainly considered interest rates at the dinner table.

Here's how the vote landed:

Do you give your kids an allowance?

🔵 Not yet, still debating it — 41.67%
🔵 Yes, no strings attached — 26.67%
🔵 No, and planning to keep it that way — 18.33%
🔵 Yes, but they have to earn it — 13.33%

We'll keep the conversation going.

Ohh so many new events, enjoy!

🛹 Skate 50 @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: May 7–Jun 21, Southbank SE1
A celebration of London’s legendary skate scene with photography, video and stories from the Undercroft over the last 50 years. Cool enough that even non-skaters will suddenly want Vans.
Age: All | Price: Pay What You Can | Info

🕵️ Sherlock Holmes @ Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Date & Loc: May 7–Jun 6, Regent’s Park NW1
A brand new Sherlock Holmes mystery set in Victorian London, performed outdoors in Regent’s Park. Fog, conspiracies and a bit of Baker Street.
Age: 12+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🚀 Jack and the Beanstalk @ Stanley Arts
Date & Loc: May 7, Norwood SE25
A very untraditional panto situation. Think space princesses, evil villains and a cow called Milkyway in this sci-fi twist on the classic fairytale.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £10.75 | Info

🎲 Board Game Night @ Rose Theatre Café
Date & Loc: May 7 (Thu), Kingston KT1
Tables full of games, zero prep required. Just turn up, pick something, and try not to fall out over Monopoly.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🥋 Karate Kid The Musical @ New Wimbledon Theatre
Date & Loc: May 7-9, Wimbledon SW19
The coming-of-age story reimagined as a musical with inventive choreography and energetic storytelling. Based on the iconic film.
Age: 6+ | Price: from £15 | Info

👶 For Crying Out Loud! @ Wigmore Hall
Date & Loc: May 8 (Fri), Marylebone W1
A relaxed daytime concert designed for parents, carers and babies under one. Beautiful live classical music in one of London’s best concert halls.
Age: Babies under 1 | Price: £10 adults | Info

🎊 Dulwich Festival 2026
Date & Loc: May 8–17, Dulwich SE21
Annual community arts festival across Dulwich with open houses, performances, walks, talks and family-friendly events. Local artists, mostly free, and a genuinely good-natured stretch of south London culture.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🛁 The Flying Bath @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: May 8 - Jul 12, Islington N1
Julia Donaldson and David Roberts' story about a bath that flies off into the night, with catchy songs, rubber ducks and everyday heroes.
Age: 2–5 | Price: TBC | Info

🎧 Toto Kerblammo! @ Unicorn Theatre
Date & Loc: May 8–22, London Bridge SE1
A powerful theatre show experienced through headphones and immersive 3D sound. Funny, moving and inventive in a way kids will remember for ages.
Age: 10+ | Price: from £16.50 | Info

🧪 Mini Genius Lab: Cool Science Experiments @ Glaziers Hall
Date & Loc: May 9, London Bridge SE1
Slime, reactions and hands-on chaos disguised as education. Expect mini experiments, colourful mess and children loudly announcing they’re “basically scientists now”.
Age: 6+ | Price: £19 (adult+kids) | Info

🐰 The Tale of Peter Rabbit @ Lantern Arts Centre
Date & Loc: May 9 (Sat), Tooting SW17
A live music storytelling take on the classic, mixing narration, classical pieces and a fair bit of bunny mischief.
Age: 3+ | Price: £11 | Info

🍄 Fantastic Fungal Festival @ The Royal Institution
Date & Loc: May 9 (Sat), Mayfair W1S
Performance about Ophiocordyceps, the zombie ant fungus that hijacks ant nervous systems, followed by hands-on activities with scientists and experts. The RI doing what it does best for families.
Age: 4–11 | Price: from £7.75 | Info

🪩 Clubhouse Kids Rave @ Big Penny Social
Date & Loc: May 9 (Sat), Walthamstow E17
A daytime family rave with DJs, bubbles, glow sticks and enough bass to make your toddler believe they’re at Glastonbury.
Age: Everyone | Price: £15 | Info

🎩 I Want My Hat Back Trilogy @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: until May 9, Islington N1
All three of Jon Klassen's hat books on one stage — a bear who lost his hat, a fish who stole one and two turtles who found one. Wry, funny, perfect.
Age: 3-6yo | Price: £13.50 | Info

🎬 Short Films for the Family @ Garden Cinema
Date & Loc: May 9–10, Covent Garden WC2
A handpicked programme of animated family shorts from one of the world’s biggest short film festivals.
Age: 4+ | Price: Pay What You Can | Info

📶 WiFi Wars @ artsdepot
Date & Loc: May 10 (Sun), North Finchley N12
An interactive comedy game show where the audience joins in using their phones. Think quizzes, mini-games and mild family competitiveness.
Age: 6+ | Price: from £13.75 | Info

🎭 May Fayre & Puppet Festival @ St Paul’s Church Garden
Date & Loc: May 10 (Sun), Covent Garden WC2
Punch and Judy shows, puppets, folk music and a grand procession through Covent Garden.
Age: All | Price: No cost | Info

🎩 Rabbits Out of the Hat @ Jacksons Lane
Date & Loc: May 10 (Sun), Highgate N6
Magic, circus tricks and comedy rolled into one gloriously chaotic family show.
Age: 5+ | Price: £14 | Info

🌱 Tuesday Tots: Luna Loves Gardening Storytelling @ Garden Museum
Date & Loc: May 12 (Tue), Lambeth SE1
Stories, crafts and tiny humans enthusiastically scattering things everywhere. Relaxed drop-in session includes gardening-themed storytelling, seed shaker making and hands-on activities inspired by the museum’s exhibitions.
Age: Under 5s | Price: no cost | Info

🐢 Tortoise and the Hare @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: until May 31, Wimbledon SW19
A classic fable turned into a lively, toe-tapping show with puppets, music and just enough chaos to keep small attention spans locked in.
Age: 3–7 | Price: from £10 | Info

⛵ Pie-Rat Island @ Half Moon Theatre
Date & Loc: May 15–16, Limehouse E1
A gentle play-along theatre adventure for little ones with puppetry, music, games and lots of imaginative chaos.
Age: 2–6 | Price: £9 | Info

🏖️ Beach in a Jar Family Workshop @ Dockland Settl. 2
Date & Loc: May 16, Canary Wharf E14
Tiny beaches in jars. Honestly quite relaxing-looking. Kids build their own mini terrariums with coloured sand, shells and plants while pretending they’re on holiday instead of in east London.
Age: 5–11 | Price: from £15 | Info

🐴 War Horse @ Peacock Theatre
Date & Loc: May 16–Jul 30, Holborn WC2A
The National Theatre's production with the life-sized Handspring puppet horses is back in London for the summer.
Age: 10+ | Price: TBC | Info

🤠 Country for Kids @ Royal Albert Hall
Date & Loc: May 17 (Sun), South Kensington SW7
A relaxed family country music gig where children are actively encouraged not to sit still quietly for an hour. Expect live music, Nashville vibes and plenty of tiny boot-scooters roaming the aisles.
Age: 4–11 | Price: from £12 | Info

🐱 Toto The Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: May 17–Jul 19, Islington N1
Dermot O'Leary's bestselling children's book comes alive with music, laugh-out-loud fun and extraordinary puppetry.
Age: 5+ | Price: £13.50 | Info

🌸 Belgravia in Bloom @ Belgravia
Date & Loc: May 18–24, Belgravia SW1
One of London’s fanciest flower competition returns, with entire shopfronts and streets turned into giant floral displays. This year’s theme is fairy tales, so expect plenty of magical-looking photo spots.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🌺 Chelsea in Bloom @ Chelsea
Date & Loc: May 18–24, Chelsea SW3
Basically the floral Olympics for west London. Streets and shopfronts get covered in giant flower displays, with this year’s theme going full cosmic: planets, stars and “out of this world” creations everywhere.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🎪 Giffords Circus @ Chiswick House and Gardens
Date & Loc: May 21–Jun 1, Chiswick W4
Giffords Circus pitches up in the grounds of Chiswick House. Small tent, performers right up close.
Age: Everyone | Price: TBC | Info

🦸 MCM Comic Con @ ExCeL London
Date & Loc: May 22–24, Royal Docks E16
Three days of cosplay, anime, gaming, movie stars, comics and children begging you for merchandise that costs more than your weekly food shop.
Age: All ages | Price: from £27 | Info

🦕 Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep @ Natural History Museum
Date & Loc: From May 22, South Kensington SW7
New exhibition at the Natural History Museum. Giant prehistoric sea monsters, huge fossils and the sort of creatures that make sharks look quite manageable.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £7.50 | Info

🎂 Michael Rosen's Birthday @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: May 23 (Sat), Southbank SE1
The author and poet turns 80 and the Southbank throws a party. Silly rhymes, storytelling and special guests for the whole day.
Age: 5+ | Price: No cost | Info

💫 evim [my home] @ The Place
Date & Loc: May 23 (Sat), Euston WC1H
A gentle, sensory dance show inspired by Rumi and whirling dervishes. Think music, movement and a bit of magic as kids explore the idea of “home” in a very calm, slightly hypnotic way.
Age: 2–7 | Price: £10–£14 | Info

🫧 Bubble Explorers @ Science Museum
Date & Loc: May 23–Jul 12, South Kensington SW7
A live bubble show for younger kids at the Science Museum, featuring experiments, giant bubbles.
Age: 7 and under | Price: £4.50 | Info

📚 The Fairy Tale Fan Club @ British Library
Date & Loc: May 26 (Tue), King’s Cross NW1
Richard Ayoade + fairy tales is already a strong combo. Expect funny twists on classic stories, live readings, and plenty of “wait… what happened after?” moments.
Age: 8+ | Price: £12 | Info

🚤 Canal Museum Family Open Day @ London Canal Museum
Date & Loc: May 26, King’s Cross N1
Boat rides, wildlife spotting and canal-themed crafts at the wonderfully niche London Canal Museum.
Age: All ages | Price: from £5.50 | Info

🧪 Kitchen Lab @ The Royal Institution
Date & Loc: May 26 (Tue), Mayfair W1
Turns out your kitchen is basically a science lab with snacks. Kids mix, experiment and make controlled chaos with everyday ingredients while learning the chemistry behind it all.
Age: 9–11 | Price: £25 | Info

🪄 Enchanted Creatures and How to Become One @ Royal Albert Hall
Date & Loc: May 26 (Tue), South Kensington SW7
Part shadow-puppet show, part interactive music session, part dreamy woodland fever dream. Kids help bring animated creatures to life with sounds, rhythms and live instruments in this beautifully odd little performance.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £12 | Info

🎻 Play Along: Virtual Orchestra @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: May 27–28, South Bank SE1
Kids can put on a VR headset, grab a virtual instrument and pretend they’re performing with a full orchestra.
Age: 5+ | Price: no cost | Info

🎪 Bop Stars Circus School @ Fulham Pier
Date & Loc: May 28, Fulham SW6
Circus skills for kids without the stress of actually running away to join one. Juggling, plate spinning, ribbon work and even aerial silks.
Age: 3–8 | Price: £15 | Info

🧬 Mark Thompson’s Spectacular Science Show @ Leicester Square Theatre
Date & Loc: May 30 (Sat), Leicester Square WC2
Explosions, fire, flying objects and the sort of experiments that make children immediately ask to “try one at home”.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £18 | Info

🐕 Dog Man: The Musical @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Jul 30–Aug 16, Southbank SE1
Based on Dav Pilkey's bestselling books, hilarious and heartfelt in equal measure, with a dog for a hero. Tickets on sale now for the summer holidays.
Age: 5+ | Price: TBC | Info

🧚 Fairy Tales @ British Library
Date & Loc: until Aug 23, King's Cross N1C
The British Library opens a fairy tales exhibition with books, original illustrations, theatre costumes, puppets and pop-ups.
Age: 3-10yo | Price: £11.50 | Info

🙏 If this makes your week a bit easier, pls think of two parents who'd love it, or drop it in a WhatsApp group. Takes 20 seconds. Please don’t ignore me 😂.
Appreciated, kind Londoner!

Got any comments or suggestions? Feel free to reply; I’d love to hear from you.

Also, if you enjoyed this, pls share it with friends!

HBTM